The Morgan James Quintet at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
As Friday night transitioned into the early hours of Saturday on a cold December night, the audience wrapped in the warm confines of Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola overlooking Central Park was treated to the powerfully talented and often soulful vocal stylings of the Morgan James Quintet. Dizzy’s, dimly lit as a proper jazz club should be with its curvilinear wooden accents upon which one could imagine notes dancing across maple colored ribbons like flowing bars of a timeless composition, offers the most budget conscious aficionado the opportunity to unwind with its After Hours sets.
This particular set featured a collection of standards highlighting the broad vocal range of the Julliard trained James, currently appearing in a revival of Godspell at the Circle In The Square on Broadway, backed by Jim Hershman (guitar), Chris Fenwick (piano), Joe Abba (drums) and David Finck (bass).
Opening with a powerful, up-tempo display of her abilities in the form of Cole Porter’s From This Moment On, the quintet wasted little time capturing the audience’s attention as the clock crept well past One. James and the boys then offered a sultry rendition of Judy Garland’s Do It Again, silencing the crowd into an entranced state of appreciation for her talents.
Declaring Nina Simone as her greatest musical influence, quipping that she often asks herself “What Would Nina Do”, the group embarked on My Baby Just Cares For Me, supplanting the piano solo of Nina’s version with a swinging guitar interpretation deftly handled by Hershman. Little Girl Blue followed highlighting Fenwick’s incredible skills while James’ soulful, breathy voice channeled Nina’s spirit.
Instrumental focus shifted to Fenwick during a rendition of Nobody Knows You’re Down and Out, followed by an emotional, passionate version of Schwartz and Dietz’s Alone Together which evolved into a duet featuring James and the deep voice of Finck’s upright bass. A swinging, semi-bop Straighten Up and Fly Right brought the audience roaring back into the present.
Ill wind (You're Blowin' Me No Good), which James admitted to arranging for percussion and voice prior to hearing any version of the Harold Arlen standard, presented itself as a raw, quasi-tribal duet featuring Abba utilizing a single brush and his bare hand to provide the beat. A form repeated later in the set on Nina Simone’s Be My Husband, during which Abba returned to the sticks.
Baby, Baby All The Time, Fools Rush In and Irving Berlin’s Suppertime which displayed James’ theater-rich vocal ability, carried the remainder of the set to its penultimate number, The Best Is Yet To Come.
Closing the set, the quintet treated the audience to the Guaraldi holiday classic Christmas Time Is Here, which James admitted the group added to its repertoire in the preceding hours. James’ range was once again the centerpiece as the group concluded its After Hours set, providing us with a final glimpse of a vocal talent whose future in jazz appears to be as unlimited as her range and passion for her craft.